Man stabs friend in back, barricades himself with victim’s girlfriend, police say

A man was stabbed twice in the back Friday during a disturbance at a southeast Fresno apartment complex that triggered response from a police SWAT team.

Lt. Larry Bowlan said police arrived to the Oak Park Senior Villas just before 3 p.m. on reports of a stabbing. The complex is on the northwest corner of Jensen and Willow avenues.

Officers found a man in his 60s with two stab wounds to his back. He was taken by ambulance to Community Regional Medical Center and was in stable condition.

Bowlan said the suspect barricaded himself inside his apartment with the girlfriend of the victim.

The woman and the injured man had been staying at the apartment with the suspect.

For nearly two hours, police negotiated with the man to exit the apartment.

Bowlan said the woman, hiding in a bathroom, was able to communicate by phone with police, relaying the location of the suspect inside the apartment.

Bowlan said the man, also in his 60s, was armed with the knife during the standoff.

A SWAT unit breached the front door and took the suspect into custody in the living room. Neither the suspect nor the woman was injured, Bowlan said.

The woman refused medical attention and was expected to be taken to police headquarters for questioning.

The suspect was arrested and is expected to be charged with assault with a deadly weapon.